Forums » Art & Creativity » $15 Art Program

I know some folks work with really limited stuff, so I thought I'd share that this art program is on sale for $15 until the end of November, when it goes back to nearly $50.

http://my.smithmicro.com/manga-studio-5.html

I can vouch for this program being awesome - ESPECIALLY if you have a pen/touch based computer like Windows' latest run. And the ink brushes on this thing are perfect.

Ooh. I bought SAI a couple years ago and love it, but this is one heck of a deal! I might pick it up for some variation. Although, I can't seem to figure out where the sale is? It looks like the software is regularly $200.

It might be location-based, but the one I linked to shouldn't be that expensive!

Edit: Whoops, linked to the wrong one. The regular program, without the EX in the name, is the one. I'll fix the link soon.

Fixed.

I snapped this up when it was on sale. Man, it has a lot of funky features I gotta learn how to use now!

I've only used it a little so far, and I think it was worth it. Unfortunately, I find it far more comfortable to do line work in SAI, since I can fix lines immediately, while Clip Studio has an extra step for line fixing and feels less natural to me. It's also been tricky finding tools at times... but yeah, still liking it.

Basically, I'm spoiled on Photoshop's UI and SAI's particular line functions.

This is on sale again! Link here.

I really recommend this program! SAI is considered abandonware, and I've always found Photoshop to be too clunky to paint or make really crisp lines with.

If anyone has questions about it, please feel free to ask me! I have PRO, not EX, but I feel like I can probably field most questions about it if someone is on the fence.

Does anyone know of like... some kinda tutorial for total beginners? I'm finding the UI very cluttered and cumbersome and foreign--sometimes it's reminding me more of like Illustrator than a painting program! I know my way around SAI and Photoshop, but if anyone has recommendations on how to set up a sane workspace for this bad boy that would rock.

Yes! Smith Micro actually released a whole series of video tutorials for people just starting to use the software. If you're pretty adept at SAI or Photoshop, it shouldn't take too much getting used to once you've got the hang of it. This was one of the tutorials that I looked at when I was first starting to use the program, but it's not as good or polished as the one that the company did themselves.

I'll be going through those, too. ^^